Heat dissipation module

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipation module for removing heat from a heat generating component, includes a block, a heat pipe and a fin unit. The block includes a first surface and a second surface. One end of the heat pipe is thermally attached to the fin unit, and the other end of the heat pipe is thermally attached to the first surface of the block. A groove is defined in the second surface of the block for fittingly receiving the heat generating component therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a heat dissipation module,and more particularly to a heat dissipation module for electronicelements.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the advance of large scale integrated circuit technology, and thewidespread use of computers in all trades and occupations, in order tomeet the required improvement in data processing load andrequest-response times, high speed processors have become faster andfaster, which causes the processors to generate redundant heat.Redundant heat that is not quickly removed will have tremendousinfluence on the system security and performance.

To solve this problem of heat generated by the processor, a heatdissipation module is often mounted on the processor for dissipatingheat. For enhancing the heat dissipation capability of the heatdissipation module, a thermal contact block is arranged for thermallycontacting with the processor. The thermal contact block is made of ametal material with a high heat transfer coefficient such as copper.

Traditionally, the thermal contact block has a planar-shaped bottomsurface for being thermally attached to a top surface of the processor.The contact surface area between the processor and the thermal contactblock depends on the area of the top surface of the processor. Becauseof the miniaturization of the processor, the contact surface areabetween the processor and the thermal contact block is limited,affecting the heat transfer rate from the processor to the thermalcontact block, and accordingly decreasing the efficiency of the heatdissipation module.

Therefore, it is desired to design a novel heat dissipation module toovercome the aforementioned problems and increase the heat dissipationefficiency thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention provides a heat dissipation modulehaving a substantially larger contact surface area with a heatgenerating component which is cooled by the heat dissipation module.

The heat dissipation module for removing heat from the heat generatingcomponent comprises a thermal contact block, a heat pipe and a fin unit.The block comprises a first surface and a second surface. One end of theheat pipe is thermally attached to the fin unit, and the other end ofthe heat pipe is thermally attached to the first surface of the block. Agroove is defined in the second surface of the block for fittinglyreceiving the heat generating component therein.

One advantage of the present invention is that a total contact surfacearea between the heat generating component and the block is dramaticallyincreased due to the existence of the groove of the block. The heatgenerating component is fittingly received in the groove and broughtinto contact with the block three-dimensionally. Thus, the heatdissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation module can be greatlyenhanced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The forgoing aspects will be better understood from the followingdetailed description of embodiment of the present invention withreference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric, exploded view of a heat dissipation module inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric, exploded view of the heat dissipation module ofFIG. 1, as viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 3 is an assembled isometric view of the heat dissipation module inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a thermal contact block of the heatdissipation module of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal contact block of FIG. 4,together with an electronic component attached thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a heat dissipation module inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a mounting seat 10, a heat pipe 30, a fin unit 90 and athermal contact block 50.

A square-shaped receiving groove 14 is defined in a substantiallycentral area of a top side of the mounting seat 10 for receiving theblock 50 therein. A plurality of setting holes 16 are defined around thereceiving groove 14 for allowing spring-loaded screws 40 to extendtherethrough to secure the mounting seat 10 to a mainboard (not shown),such as a circuit board of a notebook computer. An arc-shaped groove 12is defined in a bottom side of the mounting seat 10 for receiving theheat pipe 30 therein. The receiving groove 14 is connected to andcommunicates with the groove 12, in a manner such that the heat pipe 30disposed in the groove 12 can be thermally connected to the block 50disposed in the receiving groove 14.

The fin unit 90 comprises a plurality of fins 92. The fins 92 are spacedapart from each other by an essentially identical distance. A channel 94is therefore formed between adjacent fins 92 for allowing a forcedairflow (the direction of the airflow is shown by arrows in FIG. 3) toflow therethrough. A rectangular cutout 96 is defined in a bottom ofeach fin 92 so that these cutouts 96 cooperatively define an elongatedU-shaped receiving space (not labeled). The heat pipe 30 comprises anevaporating portion 31 and a condensing portion 32 extending from theevaporating portion 31. The evaporating portion 31 is bent to have anarced shape corresponding to the shape of the arc-shaped groove 12 anddisposed in the groove 12. The condensing portion 32 is disposed in thereceiving space formed by the cutouts 96 of the fins 92 for thermallycontacting the fin unit 90. The heat pipe 30 is partially flattened soas to increase its contact surface area with the fin unit 90 and theblock 50.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the block 50. The block 50 presents asquare shape and is made of a metal material with a high heat transfercoefficient such as copper. The block 50 is disposed in the receivinggroove 14 and comprises a bottom surface 52 and a top surface 54opposite to the bottom surface 52. The bottom surface 52 of the block 50is thermally attached to the heat pipe 30 and a thermal interfacematerial 20 is commonly applied therebetween to reduce a heat resistancebetween the block 50 and the heat pipe 30. A groove 56 is defined in thetop surface 54 of the block 50 for fittingly receiving a heat generatingcomponent 80 (FIG. 5), such as a CPU in a computer. The groove 56 inthis embodiment is essentially rectangular-shaped and comprises fourlateral sides 57 and a bottom 58. A chamfered corner (not labeled) isformed between adjacent lateral sides 57, and the lateral sides 57 areoriented perpendicular to the bottom 58. A substantially cubic spacedefined by the groove 56 is thus defined by the lateral sides 57 and thebottom 58. The heat generating component 80 includes a top surface 81and a plurality of lateral sidewalls 82. The size of the bottom 58 andthe height of each of the lateral sides 57 of the groove 56 depend onthe size and height of the heat generating component 80 respectively.Thus the heat generating component 80 fits in the groove 56. Inaddition, a thermal interface material 70 may be placed between the heatgenerating component 80 and the lateral sides 57 and bottom 58 of groove56 to reduce the heat resistance therebetween.

In assembly, the evaporating portion 31 of the heat pipe 30 ispositioned in the arc-shaped groove 12 of the mounting seat 10, and thecondensing portion 32 of the heat pipe 30 is received in the cutouts 96and thus combined with the fin unit 92. The evaporating portion 31 ofthe heat pipe 30 is soldered to the mounting seat 10, while thecondensing portion 32 of the heat pipe 30 is soldered to the fin unit92. The block 50 is disposed in the receiving groove 14, and the heatgenerating component 80 is packaged in the groove 56 of the top surface54 of the block 50. A part of the evaporating portion 31 of the heatpipe 30 located in the receiving groove 14 is thermally attached to thebottom surface 52 of the block 50 and the thermal interface material 20is placed between the block 50 and the heat pipe 30 to reduce the heatresistance therebetween. Furthermore, a thermal interface material 20 ais applied on the top surface of the mounting seat 10 at a positioncorresponding to a distal free end of the evaporating portion 31 of theheat pipe 30. Another heat generating component (not shown) such as achipset of a graphics card, north bridge chipset or south bridgechipset, may advantageously be thermally attached to the thermalinterface material 20 a and cooled by the heat dissipation module.Finally, the mounting seat 10 is mounted to the mainboard by the screws40 extending through the setting holes 16 and engaging with themainboard. The heat generated by the heat generating component 80 isconducted to the block 50, absorbed by the heat pipe 30, and thentransferred to the fin unit 90. When the forced airflow flows throughthe channels 94 of the fin unit 90, the heat is efficiently carried awayby the airflow, thus maintaining stable operation conditions.

Because of the existence and configuration of the groove 56 defined onthe block 50, the heat generating component 80 can be fittingly packagedin the groove 56 and enclosed by the lateral sides 57 of the block 50.The heat generating component 80 is brought into contact with both thebottom 58 and the lateral sides 57 of the groove 56, thus increasing thecontact surface area between the block 50 and the heat generatingcomponent 80, and enhancing the heat dissipation efficiency of the heatdissipation module. According to one aspect of the present heatdissipation module, the heat generating component 80 can transfer itsgenerated heat, through its top surface 81, to the bottom 58 of theblock 50. In another aspect, the heat generating component 80 can alsotransfer its generated heat, through lateral sidewalls 82 thereof, tothe lateral sides 57 of the block 50.

It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other formswithout departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present embodimentis to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive,and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.

1. A heat dissipation module for removing heat from a heat generatingcomponent, comprising: a thermal contact block comprising a firstsurface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a fin unit;and a heat pipe with one end thereof thermally attached to the fin unitand another end thereof thermally attached to the first surface of theblock; wherein a groove is defined in the second surface of the blockand the groove is configured to fittingly receive the heat generatingcomponent therein; and wherein the groove comprises a bottom and aplurality of lateral sides, a size of the bottom and a height of each ofthe lateral sides of the groove are dimensioned so that, when the heatgenerating component is packaged in the groove of the block, the heatgenerating component is brought into contact with the bottom and thelateral sides of the groove.
 2. The heat dissipation module of claim 1,further comprising a mounting seat, wherein a receiving groove isdefined in the mounting seat for receiving the block therein, and theheat pipe is attached to the mounting seat.
 3. The heat dissipationmodule of claim 2, wherein an arc-shaped groove is defined in themounting seat for receiving said one end of the heat pipe, saidarc-shaped groove being connected to and communicating with saidreceiving groove.
 4. The heat dissipation module of claim 3, wherein thefin unit comprises a plurality of fins, each fin defines a cutouttherein, the cutouts cooperatively defining a space for receiving saidanother end of the heat pipe therein.
 5. The heat dissipation module ofclaim 4, wherein the heat pipe comprises an evaporating portion and acondensing portion extending from the evaporating portion, saidevaporating portion being arc-shaped and received in the arc-shapedgroove of the mounting seat, said condensing portion being received inthe space defined by the cutouts of the fins.
 6. The heat dissipationmodule of claim 1, wherein a thermal interface material is placedbetween the first surface of the block and the heat pipe.
 7. A heatdissipation module comprising: a heat generating component. a copperblock, a mounting seat onto which the copper block is mounted, a heatpipe having a first end thereof thermally attached to the copper block,and a fin unit being thermally attached to a second end of the heatpipe, wherein a groove is defined in one surface of the copper block forreceiving the heat generating component therein, the groove comprising abottom and a plurality of lateral sides, wherein the heat generatingcomponent is fittingly received in the groove of the copper block, theheat generating component comprising a top surface and a plurality oflateral sidewalls, the bottom and the lateral sides of the groove beingbrought into contact with the top surface and the lateral sidewalls ofthe heat generating component, respectively.
 8. The heat dissipationmodule of claim 7, wherein a receiving groove is defined in the mountingseat for receiving the copper block therein.
 9. The heat dissipationmodule of claim 8, wherein the heat pipe is partially flattened andcomprises an evaporating portion and a condensing portion, wherein theevaporating portion received in an arc-shaped groove defined in themounting seat communicates with the receiving groove, and the condensingportion is combined with the fin unit.
 10. The heat dissipation moduleof claim 9, wherein a thermal interface material is placed between theheat generating component and the copper block, and between the heatpipe and the copper block.
 11. The heat dissipation module of claim 9,wherein the evaporating portion of the heat pipe is arc-shaped and isthermally attached to another heat generating component.